Sebastian Vettel is a racing driver who currently is with Aston Martin in Formula One, but he will retire at the end of the 2022 season. He is a four-time F1 world champion (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013), all with Red Bull Racing.
Vettel became the youngest driver ever to score a point in Formula One while driving for Toro Rosso. At Monza in 2009 he became the youngest driver ever to win a Grand Prix after securing his team’s first ever Pole Position and first ever Grand Prix victory.
Vettel started young at racing with Karts, in 1995, and won almost everything there was in sight. In 2003, he decided that it was time to upgrade himself to open wheel racing and thus came his stint at the BMW Series. In 2004, he won the Formula BMW Series and thus became known in the racing arena.
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Born | 7 Jul 1987 |
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Team History | |
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2021 - present |
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2015 - 2020 |
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2009 - 2014 |
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2007 - 2008 |
In 2005, he moved up one more step to the Formula3000 Euro Series and finished the season in 5th place. Williams-BMW were quick to notice this bright and upcoming talent and decided to bring him on board as a test driver. So besides the Euro Series, Vettel spent 2005 in some rigorous testing for the Formula1 team.
He took part in the World Series Renault for just three races and took victories in two of them. He also finished as the runner up in the Formula3000 Euro Series. Despite a serious accident with some flying debris on the track, which almost sliced off his finger, Vettel took part in the Masters of F3 at Zandvoort, finishing at 6th place. He ended an eventful 2006 with more testing, this time for BMW’s other alliance, Sauber. Throughout his testing career, BMW seemed to play a major role in how Vettel moved up to the Formula One stage.
While leading the World Series by Renault Championships, Vettel was called up to replace an injured Robert Kubica at the US Grand Prix. Vettel qualified at 7th place and finished the race at 8th. He was released by BMW-Sauber, after this performance, to join the Red Bull Racing Team.
He drove, for the remainder of 2007, with the Austrian team. The Chinese Grand Prix in 2007, was probably the most incredible day in his career. Vettel was docked five positions on the grid after he was charged with impeding another driver during qualifying. He started the race at 17th place and at the end of the race, made up a humongous 13 places, to finish the day at fourth overall. This brought the first and only race points for Toro Rosso. In 2008 he won the Italian Grand Prix for Toro Rosso.
In 2009 he left Toro Rosso for Red Bull, finishing second that season to Jenson Button, after four race wins. He ascended to world champion in 2010, entering into a period of dominance, highlighted by winning nine straight races to finish the 2013 F1 season.
After finishing fifth in 2014, he left Red Bull for Ferrari where he was unable to win another world title despite two runner-up finishes (2017 and 2018). He moved to Aston Martin in 2021 and announced his retirement in July 2022.
Formula One Career Highlights
- 4 world titles (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)
- 53 wins
- 122 podiums
- 57 pole positions
- 3099 career points
- 38 fastest laps